TNAG-0802-FCO40-1006-Immigration-from-China-to-Hong-Kong-1978 — Page 36

PS/Mr Luard

H

W158

Mr Luard and

UNHCR Consultations on Indo-Chinese Refugees

He

The Secretary of State has seen Mr Luard's minute of 6 December covering Mr Murray's minute of the same date. discussed the Geneva meeting with Mr Murray this morning and the following conclusions were reached:

(a) Mr Luard should represent the Government at the Geneva

meeting subject to the approval of the Prime Minister and the Whips. Dr Owen said that if there were a 3-line Whip on Tuesday Mr Luard should anyway go to Geneva on Monday and return to London some time the following day.

(b) Mr Luard should speak to Mrs Hart this morning to seek

her authority for a further pledge of aid to UNHCR to cope with the Indo-Chinese refugees. We should at least be in a position to indicate our willingness to offer more money even if we could not make a specific pledge at this stage.

(c) We should look at the question of asking the Chinese

to do more in receiving refugees from Vietnam and urge them to stop passing on refugees to Hong Kong. We should emphasise the Hong Kong problem in anything we say at the meeting.

(d)

(e)

We should resist the US idea of national quotas, to which we would not be able to commit ourselves.

However,

We should take a tough line in pointing out the commercial aspects of the Vietnamese problem. we should let the Asians take the lead in criticism of the Vietnamese.

(£) Mr Luard should seek an opportunity to talk to the press

while in Geneva.

ilwall

(J S Wall)

8 December 1978

cc: PS/Lord Goronwy-Roberts

PS/PUS

Mr Cortazzi Mr Murray-

Mr Stephen

UND

SEAD

FED

MVD

FRD

News Dept